The Prince said that as humans we are “doing our utmost to test to destruction" the living system of nature. “This is why I find it so unbelievable when people ask why we should bother with the conservation and protection of the Earth's dwindling biodiversity, or why we should strive to make the terrifying environmental issues we now face such a priority,” he said. “It is, of course, the diversity of life on Earth which actually enables us to have our being. Deplete it, reduce it, erode and destroy it and we will succeed in causing such disorder that we risk derailing humanity's place on Earth for good”.

His words fuelled the following two days of the conference, during which topics ranged from the circular economy, science and spirituality, the act of eating, farm architecture to the carbon cycle and music.